EveryRider

R.I.P Teddy O'connor

It is a sad day in Virginia as the news spreads of the untimely passing of "Teddy" Theodore O'Connor, the  pony who took the eventing world by storm. The 14.1 hand Shetland/Arabian/Thoroughbred cross gelding suffered a severe laceration to his hind leg, severing the tendons and ligaments, when he slipped after he spooked and bolted. 

According to a statement posted on the O'Connor Event Team website, the staff attended to his needs, and Dr. A Kent Allen was there to exam the horse before it was determined that the injury was irrecoverable and impairing to Teddy's quality of life."

Teddy held the reigning team and individual gold medals from the 2007 Pan American Games and had top six finishes at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in 2007 and 2008. The 13-year-old gelding had been named on May 22 to the eventing short list for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by the United States Equestrian Foundation. To read more about the life of this amazing pony or to express your condolences to those who knew and loved “Teddy” visit http://www.oconnoreventteam.com/new/index.html

Here is another good article I read sometime ago about Teddy from Chronicle of the Horse

Below is a lovely montage/tribute posted on youtube by ilovehunterjumper

"Riley"

The Great expectations series focused on the experience of breeding my maiden mare Devonessa.  The last post in the series of four ended with a very dramatic video of the foaling caught on our webcam and broadcast live on Marestare.  I was so eager to bring the story to a close so I could show you the video that I didn't get the chance to properly introduce you to the legend himself... So with out further ado I would like to present Roman Mcvai  aka "Riley" born on May 3rd, 2008.  Enjoy:)

I love your blog award!

I received a very special award today from Grey horse matters (which just so happens to be one of MY favorite blogs!) I appreciate this very much considering how completely neglected my poor blog has been until the past two weeks. There is nothing like an adorable foal to get the creative juices flowing again! I hope to keep up with the blog on a more regular basis now and this award gives me just the boost to keep me going! Thanks a bunch GHM! 

Now I am excited to pass the award along to a few of my favorite horse blogs! Just about everyone on my blog roll (and then some) are frequent reads for me so this isn't easy:(  Let's pick five...three old and two new

1. Mikael's Mania - A blog I read every day! Learn all you ever wanted to know about Arabian horses and so much more! A Great story teller and a Great lady:)
2. Smells Horsey - Lots of variety and lots of fun!  Anne is never short on humor or variety... I enjoy the wide range interesting topics and everyday stories of her life with horses:)
3. Simply Marvelous- Great photos and more... Simply marvelous is pleasing to the eye and sure to warm your heart!

My New  favorites:

4. Behind the bit:  This new blog is one of my favorite reads! Well written, fun and full useful information.  Stacey has a knack for incorporating her own style and a great sense of humor into her writing. A must read!
5. Regarding horses:  Regarding Horses is dedicated to unpacking the physical, mental, and emotional connection many of us have with horses.  Jackie's love of sharing horses with others shines through in each post... A wide range of topics near and dear to horse people everywhere:)

Great Expectations: Stand and Deliver

Warning: The video posted below this article contains graphic material that may not be suitable for all viewers 

The last few steps to the barn felt like miles. Devon seemed so frantic on the web cam that I had no idea what to expect as I approached her stall.  As soon she heard the door slide open she turned and ran straight to me, pushing her head into my chest as if she were trying to burrow inside. She was breathing heavily and her body was hot to the touch.  She was so drenched with sweat that I could feel it seeping into my shirt. I was completely taken aback by her reaction and the terrified expression on her face. I couldn't take a single step with out her being right up against me.  I had prepared myself to exercise restraint, I planned to sit and watch from a distance unless she needed me. Obviously that was not going to happen.  Devon was confused,frightened and adamant that she did not want to be left alone. As I stroked her neck she began to settle and I was able to lead her away from the wall.  She started arching her neck and began pushing. 

As she took a step away looking for a place to lie down I saw the sack beginning to emerge.  I was relieved to see it was white...  big sigh of relief... A red bag delivery was one of my top 5 foaling nightmares, especially after we found out she had eaten so much fescue. Devon was circling as she pushed, she kept looking like she wanted to lay down but then she wouldn't.  As she turned away from me I saw the first foot, followed by the other slightly behind it, soles down.  YES!  Everything seemed to be fine...  She lied down next to the wall again despite my effort to pull her away.  She began to really push as she rocked side to side. I crouched down next to her to see if I could get a good look but she was so close to the wall that I couldn't see.  She got up again, this time the foal appeared to be less "out" than before.  She was walking in circles again as she continued to push. She finally laid down again in a position that was difficult to see or reach her, she was only down for a few seconds, then she was trying to rise again. This time when she stood I saw the nose and again I was relieved. I figured now it was just a matter of time.

I kept thinking about all the mares I had watched foal on marestare.  Many of them would start to get up and then they would lay back down.  It was a way of repositioning the baby, getting ready to push it out. I kept thinking thats what she was doing too.  A few of the mares would get all the way up and then immediately lied back down again.  Devon was just taking a while longer to lay back down. I left the stall to get my phone and she panicked again, jumping up to her feet, this time rubbing the legs against the wall as she turned. I tried to get to the back to check the foal but every time I turned she followed so it was difficult to see what position the foal was in.  When she began to go down again she turned enough that I could see the feet again. They were now crossed... There was also now no nose visible.  I was on the phone with Susan(our experienced breeder friend) trying to explain what was happening and we decided it would be best she came to help.  I couldn't leave Devon's head long enough to help her and I knew she was making no progress on her own.

In the few minutes it took for Susan to arrive Devon got up and down many more times. The last time she went down I was able to get to the back and look and there was barely anything to grab.  Just two crossed feet. I could hear Susan entering the barn so I decided to wait.  She came in and walked to the back of Devon to check the foals position. I stayed at Devon's head as she uncrossed the legs.  She said it would be a good idea to assist Devon as she pushes to help her progress without sucking the foal back in after each push.  I was concerned about pulling the foal too much but Susan assured me we would only be holding during contractions and providing resistance to help Devon push the foal out without so much strain. I agreed and thats what we set out to do. The first push went well and I thought we were on our way. Then my poor confused mare stood up...again...

Now the bag was broken and progress had been made, this would have been a good thing if only she was lying down.  She was pacing the stall again and I saw her back up to the wall.  All along in her pregnancy she pushed against the wall when she became uncomfortable. I think it was a way to relieve the pressure she felt from the foal pushing against her.  She was trying to do the same thing now except the foal was already on his way out.  I attached a lead to her halter and pulled her as hard as I could off the wall.  I tried to go to her hind to look but once again she tried to follow.  Susan jumped right in and went to work.  Devon was going to try and have this foal standing up. So much for all my damn notes!  I was prepared for everything but this. Why would she want to stand?  Luckily, Susan was ready and able to help see her through.  There was just enough room to stand behind her and break the foal's fall as he came down.  I just had to stay at her head and keep her from backing up and to try and keep her calm. 

On the way out the foal became hip locked and it took some maneuvering to free him so that he could be pushed the rest of the way out.  Devon was shaking and in obvious pain she put her head on me again and started to push.  I talked to her and stroked her neck as Susan guided the foal to the ground.  I was amazed at how she managed to break his fall so carefully.  Holding onto a slippery 100 pound foal that is dangling from a confused maiden mare is no small feat.  I was incredibly grateful to have her there to help us. We had a beautiful bay colt. I felt a huge lump in my throat as I kissed my sweet mare on the neck.  It's hard to describe what I was feeling but I have never felt so close to her or so incredibly proud of her as I did in that moment. 

The colt began calling out to his mama as soon as he hit the ground.  She kept looking back wondering what in the hell was behind her. Once the foal was on the ground we had to treat his umbilical cord right away.  Unlike when a normal mare foals lying down, the umbilical cord broke instantly when he hit the ground. I ran to get the solution and dip the stump as Susan tied up the placenta.  Devon was exhausted but still standing so I turned her around so she could see the foal. All my worries about whether she would make a good mom or not melted away the instant I saw her face against his.  She nickered to him and he replied. She didn't know what to do with him yet but she knew he was hers.  Devon didn't need any help with this part... She was a great mama from the very start. The others arrived just in time to watch her begin to clean him.  The expression on her face had changed drastically from the terrified maiden I met an hour ago.  She was perfectly calm and relaxed as stood over her new foal. We left her alone to bond with him and hopefully get a bit of rest.  She was certainly going to need it...

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Great Expectations...Foaling in Cyberspace

It was decided early on that we would install a foaling camera in the barn.  Since there were three of us involved in breeding Devon it seemed like a good way for all of us to be able to take turns "foal watching."  Besides it was nice to have extra eyes (friends, family, online viewers) checking in on Devon from time to time and alerting us if anything looked amiss.

I was introduced to marestare after reading a fellow blogger Mikael at Rising Rainbow Arabians experience with twin foals. Then last year I was held captive along with so many others watching Suerte of Glenhill Farm. Since then I have had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall of breeding farms all over the country and even a few abroad. Although until I was up into the wee hours waiting for my own mare to foal I rarely witnessed an actual foaling in progress. 

The first few nights of Devon's foal watch I watched her continuously and analyzed her every move.  She displayed a few general signs of discomfort but for the most part she stood in one spot with her butt pressed up against the wall. Despite the building anticipation over the past few weeks, most of the time she was incredibly boring to watch.  So I began to flip back and forth watching several other mares who were a bit more committed to getting the job done.  Over the course of about 10 days I was able to watch over a dozen mares foal.  While lying in bed I observed a broad spectrum of mares foal, there were seasoned broodmares and confused maiden mares,  experienced breeders and first timers. Some of them appeared to be to be textbook and others that were difficult to watch. 

Let me preface this by saying that in retrospect I realize that it is easy to pass judgment sitting at home watching from your computer while someone is making difficult decisions in the throws of foaling. That being said there were several times I felt a bit uneasy watching mares being assisted during foaling.  There were times when only a minute or two had passed and there appeared to be no complications yet the foal was being pulled out, sometimes by two people, one pulling each leg. I realize that every mare and every situation is different and perhaps there were past issues with a particular horse or complications that were difficult to detect via web cam.  Either way it was not what I envisioned when I thought of how I wanted Devon's first experience to be. I wanted to allow Devon to foal undisturbed if at all possible. Of course I wanted to be right there if she needed me but it seems to me that as much harm can be done by intervening too early as too late and despite the good intention in trying to help you could possibly do more harm than good.   

So that was the plan... We would watch the cam religiously and when the time came I would go out to the barn and sit quietly unnoticed and provide help only as needed.  Sounds easy enough right? I had a plan of action, a foaling kit and all the books and notes a prepared foaling attendant could ever need... All I had to do now was wait...

The due date came and went and it became obvious Devon was going to milk this thing for all it was worth (No pun intended)  She had constant attention, grooming, bananas (yes I really said bananas!) and every one who passed through the barn fussing over her every whim.  She began showing "signs" that she was at least beginning to get ready about 2 1/2 weeks before actual foaling.  She was restless a lot of the time, biting her sides, rubbing her tail, pushing her hind end up against the wall, laying down then getting back up over and over night after night.  With  a maiden mare it can be so difficult to to know if these signs meant she was close to actual foaling or that she was simply getting closer and understandably uncomfortable.  Between the three partners involved in project Devon we managed to watch her in shifts all night every night for at least three weeks. The good news was now that as I had taken over as head worry wart of the group, I had plenty of time to do my worry wart research online while Devon proceeded to take her sweet time. 

About a week after Devon's due date we finally began to see the udder begin to develop. I also started noticing a change in her shape, she was beginning to soften in the hind, and her vulva was elongated and appeared swollen. Another big change I noticed in the final week was her extreme desire to be near people.  She became more affectionate than I had ever seen her before, she nuzzled me constantly and followed me very closely any time I entered her stall.  Even her facial expressions were different, she had deep lines above her eyes that gave her a constant "worried look." 

There were several nights I thought "Tonight is the night"  during the last week based on  differences in the way she was acting.  I also noticed a window of restlessness when the foal seemed the most active, if she hadn't done anything by 4am I knew I could go to sleep because all activity seemed to halt. The night before Devon foaled she was very agitated at the mare in the stall next to hers. We have a divider up so she couldn't see her but she seemed to be bothered by her being there at all.  Based on my reading bout mares wanting to foal in quiet and solitude I decided to put the horses out that night. It was sort of an experiment and a half hearted attempt to will her into foaling  while I still had a little bit of energy left.

She seemed fine with being alone at first, I groomed her and fed her dinner then packed up my things and got ready to leave.  As I walked toward the door she began to scream.  I know scream probably isn't the right term but I have never heard her or any horse make a noise quite like this.  It was a painful shriek followed by panic and banging on the stall door.  I walked back to her stall and she rushed to the window, her eyes as wide as saucers.  She snorted loudly, pushed her head into me and then proceeded to pace the stall, knocking the rest of her grain onto the floor.  I went in to get her bucket and she trotted up to me  Mares... "So you don't want to be alone but you don't want anyone near you either?" She pinned her ears at me and went back to pacing.  I decided rather than bring all the horse back in to just get her babysitter... "Scotch" is a 10 year old Quarter horse gelding that is just a big happy teddy bear.  Not much phases him so as far as he was concerned as long as I gave him a little extra hay and grain, Devon could pin her ears and lunge at him through the wall all night long and that was just fine with him.  With everyone relatively happy I headed home.

I made a cup of coffee and got into bed. My foal watching shift was until 1:30 so it was time to get down to staring.  At first Devon didn't seem to be doing much of anything so I started surfing and checking in on a few of my other "favorites" I'd been following on Marestare.  If Devon wasn't ready tonight maybe I could find another that was.  I logged on to the chat room to see if there was a particular farm that anyone was discussing that may be close to foaling tonight.  No mares were ready yet but I did notice that Mikael was online too.  I had also been watching her mare Lucy the past few nights as she seemed much more promising than mine. Around 12:30 I realized Devon had not laid down yet.  Typically she was up and down at least two or three times by now.  I was so used to looking for her laying flat out as a sign that I never considered her not doing so being THE SIGN.  I noticed Lucy looking particularly agitated and commented to Mikael that both our girls were really looking restless.  "Wouldn't it be something if they went at the same time? That would make a good blog entry..." Mikael agreed and commented that Devon was "looking close."  I switched back to her camera just in time to see her throw a bale of straw across the stall.  I had a few bales in the corner to keep her out of the cameras blind spot.  She looked frantic... I wanted to go to her but If this was the beginning I certainly didn't want to give her a reason to stop. It was now 2AM and my shift was over but Devon had my undivided attention, I didn't know if she was fooling me again or not but either way I wasn't going to sleep until I saw her lay down.

Then the phone rang... Our experienced breeder friend had logged on to check Devon before bed and called to make sure I was watching.  "Kelly, she just entered the first stage of labor, this is it!" I felt my stomach turn as I stumbled out of bed and grabbed my shoes.  "But her water" I said "It hasn't broken yet"   I was afraid to scare her out of labor but she assured me it was too late for that.  I needed get out there now.  By the time I reached the barn I heard a rush of water, much louder than I expected.  My flashlight in one hand and notebook in the other I could hear my own heart beating.  Eleven months of waiting, worrying and preparation all came down to the next few minutes...

Great expectations... The Countdown

Great expectations part 1

The months have passed quickly, it seems like before I could catch my breath spring was upon us. When Devon was bred last spring, the foaling seemed so far off that I felt no real sense of urgency.  A few years ago I took a breeding course at Ohio State University. I still had my notebooks and I reviewed them a few times but that's about it.  For the most part she didn't even look pregnant, it all still felt a bit surreal. 

We were approaching 30 days away from her "due date" of April 22nd and it was time for her final vet check. My regular vet did not offer equine reproductive services and our local equine veterinary practice left me feeling less than warm and fuzzy, so we decided to make a last minute change and go with a different veterinarian. 

As soon as I met Dr. Bowman I knew we had made the right choice.  He is a rare combination of extremely knowledgeable and down to earth without the slightest hint of an ego.  It was obvious that he is passionate about his work.  He even seemed to enjoy the questions and explanations that many others find tedious.  Devon's exam went well and only took a few minutes. Her weight was right on target and she looked to be progressing nicely,and still being 30 days out it was still too soon to predict much else. To sum it up he basically said that  "Maiden mares are a bit more complicated. They can come early, or they can come late, you just have watch and wait." He also said he barely bats an eye until they hit 12 months. Apparently it's not unusual for maidens to go past their due dates. I was a bit surprised about the 12 month comment but I wasn't worried...yet...

Now is the time when most maiden "moms" of maiden mares begin to get cold feet...but not me...I was cool as a cucumber...One of the other maiden moms involved in this project was feeling less secure... She wanted to be sure we were ready for everything.  She was reading, researching, and taking notes, lots and lots of notes. It's not that I wasn't concerned, I suppose it's just my personality and my personal disdain for anxiety. I hate to be anxious about anything; it is truly my least favorite emotion. I figured I still had a few weeks to reread my notes and she was worrying enough for the both of us. Besides, statistically speaking, the numbers were on our side. 

I assured my partner that everything was going to be just fine. I was having the camera installed that week and we would be able to monitor Devon closely throughout the last few weeks. That's when she handed me the book.  Not just any book... The book that strikes fear into the hearts of first time foaling attendants everywhere: Blessed are the broodmares...  I remember reading portions of this book in my summer course.  Although then the word dystocia meant about as much to me as the words ovary or uterus. It was just information being stored away in the back of my mind, there was nothing frightening about it.  But when i was flipping through the pages once again I began to feel worry creeping in. What if we are part of that 5 percent?  What if something horrible happens? What have I done to this poor mare? 

To make matters worse, an experienced breeder who lives nearby(who ended up being a godsend) stopped by to check on Devon and found some fescue in our fescue free hay! This was impossible! I paid extra for this hay!  I took Devon off of grass even before the recommended 90 day period just to be certain this would not be an issue.  Luckily, it just so happened that our breeder friend was a fescue expert. After losing a foal years ago to due to a late diagnoses of septicemia caused partly by fescue toxicosis, she educated herself and other breeders on the effects and prevention of this devastating and preventable problem. If you are in Virginia and have an old established pasture, you probably have fescue. Tall Fescue is a hardy grass that is easily established, tolerates close grazing, stands up to heavy horse traffic, and survives drought conditions that wither other grasses. It is known as the most important cool season grass in the United States. Unless you are an expert, fescue is not that easy to identify. It looks VERY similar to bluegrass.

Here are the two grasses side by side.  They are even more difficult to to detect when cured in hay. Tall fescue is pictured on the left and bluegrass on the right. In fact, most vets can't identify it either.  Unfortunately, it only takes a little endophyte-infested fescue to cause major problems.

These problems may include :

• prolonged gestation
• abortion
• premature separation of the chorion
• dystocia
• thickened placenta
• retained placenta
• aglactia (suppression of lactation, i.e. no milk)

Luckily with the experienced friends help we were able to find it in time to have the vet start Devon on Domperidone, the most effective weapon against fescue toxicosis to date. Domperidone has proven to be successful in reversing the harmful effects that occur when pregnant mares ingest infested fescue hay or grass. When started early enough the drug was felt to be effective in the prevention of fescue toxicosis in 95.2% of mares treated. In one study done at Clemson University data on placental retention was submitted for 1,322 mares. Approximately 93% of the mares (1,236) treated with domperidone did not have retained placentas.

We were 10 days away from the due date when we started Devonessa on Domperidone.  At this time she had virtually no bag.  This could be cause for concern, or maybe not... Being a maiden mare it is not uncommon to have little udder development prior to foaling. I read several accounts of maiden mare owners who had mares foal with no bag and no milk until immediately prior to or even after foaling. There was really no way to be sure and knowing that there was some fescue in the hay it wasn't a risk worth taking. Domperidone costs around fifty dollars per tube which typically lasts about 5 days. Devon started with a 10 day supply and ended up continuing the treatment through the foaling date and a few days after. It was a small price to pay for preventing serious complications. 

At this point we were only days away from the due date and I had the camera up and running on mare stare. I was more anxious than anyone now. I was reading everything I could get my hands on and watching Devon like a hawk. Would she foal early?  Would the Domperidone work?  Was I ready to handle a dystocia if it were to happen?

I sat outside Devon's stall with my head hanging over the door, she rested her head on my shoulder and I felt her warm breath on my neck. I reached up and slowly stroked her neck. I couldn't let anything happen to her, I couldn't betray her trust. This was the beginning of many sleepless nights watching and waiting, hoping and praying that everything would go as planned. But I had to be ready for anything...

To be continued...

Great expectations... Stories of a maiden mare

Some time ago I posted the story of how I aquired my mare Devonessa.  She is a 9 year old  TB/Connemara cross.  She came to me from a well known dressage facility that happens to be right next door.  After being layed up for over a year due to a stifle injury and mild intermitant  lameness it was determined that she would be unable to  withstand the vigorous training required to be competitive in the upper levels of dressage.

Devon's previous owner decided to take her to the Verband Oldenburg inspection in hopes of registering her with the International Sport Horse Registry.  Devonessa scored second highest of the day and was accepted into the Oldenburg Mare Book.

She was now sound, fit and still perfectly capable of being ridden and way too nice of a mare to not have a job.  I had just started my business and was in need of another lesson horse so I decided to take her on a one year free lease.

Although Devon stands at barely 16h she is quite the mover. The problem was the majority of my students then consisted of beginners and a few intermediate riders.That big beautiful trot can be a bit intimidating to a new rider. I couldn't have my beginners flopping around like fish on her back so Devon was ridden by a handful of select students and did a lot of walk work. At first I wasn't sure  if she was going to be a good fit in our program.  We were just beginning to build a lesson program and I was hesitant to take on another mouth to feed permanent basis. I liked Devon but I kept a degree of distance between us as I knew that at this point she was only a lease. The agreement could be severed at any time and I didn't want to get too attached.

As time went on it became increasingly difficult to remain objective to the possibility of giving her back.  I wanted to do what was best for my business and I knew I could probably replace her with a horse that could be ridden by anyone. Another horse that just shuffled along day in, and day out lesson after lesson. There is just something about her... I'll admit that I have a preference for mares.  It is true that they can be moody and tempermental, and over all geldings tend to be the more level headed choice.  Sometimes you come across a horse that is just special. Devonessa has presence... At the ISR inspection it was obvious that she was in her element.  She isn't just beautiful, she is steady, confident and LOVES to strut her stuff.  She is always noticed and always complemented by everyone who visits the farm.  If I only had a dollar for every time I heard "She is such a nice mare"  Everyone loved her... As hard as I tried not to, I loved her too... I knew I would eventually seal the deal and I finally did.  Devon was mine.

I was interested in breeding her but I wasn't willing to do so without being certain that I could truly afford to do it right.  It was then I was approached by two of my clients with an offer to sponsor Devon's breeding.  They would own the foal unless I decided to buy in, so in essence they would be leasing Devon from me over the next 18 months.  I would oversee the process and Devon would remain in my care.  I was involved in the process of researching and picking the stallion (which was very exciting and educational!)  We spent a lot of time planning and researching as we needed to be sure there would be a market for the foal as well, should we decide to sell.  It was a great opportunity to breed her without having to come up with the very expensive stud fee (which happened to be the least of our expenses BTW) This process would also determine if I should one day breed Devon on my own. It would be an excellent opportunity to own and train a sport horse of this caliber myself.

In early spring of last year the stallion selection had been narrowed down to two.  Both of which were standing at Hilltop Farm in Maryland.  We took a field trip to Hilltop to tour the facility and meet the beautiful studs in person.  The choice was between Royal Prince and Contucci.  They were both breathtakingly beautiful and extremely well mannered.  Temperament and ridability were among the top determining factors in our decision. We were able to spend a bit of time with each horse and watch them move as well. 

The facility was amazing and it was nice to see stallions treated so well.  The stallions were all stalled in a particular wing.  The stalls were huge with bars from the chest up so that they were able to see and interact with each other.  They also had long narrow runs for turn out each day!  Imagine that! Dressage horses actually being allowed to be horses, running and playing OUTSIDE!  I think that has a lot to do with how sane and easy to handle they truly were.  After we left it didn't take long to make the decision.  Contucci was beautiful and built so well... he had a shoulder to die for and looked incredibly powerful yet he was just a big sweetheart who loved scratches and attention.  Contucci was amazing but in the end the choice was Royal Prince.  He was much smaller than Contucci but every bit as awe inspiring.  Watching him move gave me goosebumps.  He dances...  He has this rhythmic flow in every move he makes.  He just looked so nice to ride. Just thinking of the combination of Devon and Royal prince  made me smile. Devon never got to meet her Prince but I made sure to tell her he was quite the catch.

The first cycle we sent her off to the vet to be bred.  In retrospect I think that was a bad decision.  Although they were able to monitor her closely and inseminate her accordingly, she was incredibly distraught.  I have come to believe that it is best to leave a horse at home, in familiar surroundings, whether it is undergoing a medical treatment or for breeding purposes whenever possible.  She did not catch.  The second time we stayed home.  She had her mom and lots of bananas to eat while she was poked and prodded.  She did great!  The next time the vet came to visit we had great news!  Devon was in foal and we had a little white blob on sonogram to prove it! 

Now I was all excited with nothing to do but wait.  Devon went on as usual being alpha mare, giving a lesson or two and suddenly being congratulated by everyone who came her way.  She didn't know what all the fuss was about but she had no less than 3 visitors with bananas in hand daily and she couldn't be more pleased.  Poor girl had no idea of what was waiting down the road... to be continued...

stay tuned for part 2... The countdown